TROOPS of the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion (32IB) launched a combat patrol and clean-up drive early Friday, December 26, in the Sampinit Complex, the former stronghold of the dreaded Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Basilan province.
Lieutenant Colonel Gerwin Maghuyop, commander of the 32IB, said the activity aimed to familiarize troops with the terrain, maintain security and control of the area, deter and detect potential threats, protect civilians, and apprehend illegal logging activities to help safeguard Basilan’s forest.
The Sampinit Complex, located in the tri-boundary of Isabela City and the municipalities of Sumisip and Maluso, used to be a stronghold of ASG bandits in Basilan.
ASG bandits brought and beheaded most of their kidnap victims in the Sampinit Complex in the past after they or their families failed to pay ransom.
One of those tortured and killed on May 3, 2000, in the Sampinit Complex was Claretian priest Fr. Rhoel Gallardo, who, along with 22 students and four teachers, was kidnapped by ASG bandits on March 20, 2000, from Claret School of Tumahubong, Sumisip, Basilan.
“Immediately after the patrol, the troops conducted a clean-up drive along the Sampinit Complex highway, reinforcing environmental protection and community responsibility,” Maghuyop said in a statement.
He said the combat patrol operation highlights the 32IB’s sustained commitment to peace and security, environmental stewardship, and a strong government presence in Basilan.
Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman earlier led a peace caravan and tree-growing activity in the Sampinit Complex to strengthen the watershed, reduce flood risk, and open up additional livelihood opportunities for community members.
A total of 1,100 narra seedlings and 100 jackfruit seedlings were planted during the tree-growing activity.
Hataman has issued Executive Order (EO) 19, series of 2025, creating the Sagip Kalikasan program to protect the remaining forest of Basilan in general, and the Sampinit Complex in particular. (SunStar Zamboanga)